Can You Hear Me?
by Autumnsonlyone
Summary: An Explosion. Ed has to deal with the fallout
1. Chapter 1

Can you hear me:

Prologue

It was another busy day for the Strategic Response Unit. They were on the scene of a courthouse shooting. The gunman had several hostages. They had been at this scene for about four hours before the guy had agreed to release the hostages and give himself up. He didn't really want to die. He just wanted someone to hear his grievances. The primary Negotiator, Ed Lane, had assured him that someone would listen to his grievances as they walked through the courthouse lot to the squad car.

After they were finished at the scene, Ed was picking up stray items that they had not had the chance to use. He didn't want to leave them behind in case kids got ahold of them. As he made his way back to the trucks, there was a deafening roar. At first Ed couldn't place it. He continued walking. He felt himself lifted off of his feet and propelled several feet.

After several minutes, he got to his feet and looked around. He could see his team members getting to their feet. They all seemed safe. he was thankful. He was just standing there. Something was wrong. He wasn't hearing anyone shouting. That couldn't be, he thought to himself. He was lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear Sam yelling for him. He felt someone grab his shoulder. He turned to see Sam shouting at him.

Sam ran with him to the trucks. Ed could see Sam's lips moving but couldn't understand what he was saying. They were almost there when Ed just stopped dead in his tracks, yanking Sam to a halt since Sam still had his hand on Ed's arm. There was such an awful pain in his head. Hurting so much. He clutched his head and shut his eyes tightly.

After several moments he opened his eyes again to see the entire team staring at him. Greg was talking to him but he couldn't understand what he was saying. He suddenly felt very weird and could see some of the teams walking towards him. The very last thing that Ed remembered was the ground rushing up to meet him


	2. Chapter 2

Can you hear me:

Chapter 1

***AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Since this story deals with Sign Language, the key will be as follows:

Signed Words will be **bold**

Written Words will be underlined

Typed words are the same as written

Ok?

On to the story

The first thing that Ed became aware of when he came to, was that he was in the hospital. The second thing was that he was IN a hospital bed, with an iv in his hand. He forced himself to not freak out and remain calm. He looked around the room. He was alone. He wondered how long he had been here. He figured someone was bound to walk in eventually. He settled down and tried to figure out what was wrong with him. He didn't hurt anywhere.

His attention was drawn to the door when someone bustled in. It was a nurse. She started asking him questions, that he couldn't hear. He looked at her confused and then shrugged his shoulders. She walked out of the room and came back a few minutes later with a doctor. The doctor pulled out a pad of paper and started writing. He touched Ed gently on the arm to get his attention and handed him the pad of paper. Ed took it.

Ed. You are in the hospital because 1. you passed out at a scene. you have been out for a week. and 2. because as a result of the explosion that took place, you currently are deaf. We are looking into this and will be running tests to determine just how badly your hearing is affected. We are sorry. Ed hung his head and tried not to cry. He nodded his head, took the pencil and started scribbling.

Ok. Where is my team. I want to see them. Do they know that my hearing is affected? The doctor nodded his head and pointed to the part about seeing the team and shook his head at the part about the hearing. The doctor wrote down that he was going to contact the team, explain to the about the hearing loss and left the room.

Ed then allowed himself to break down slightly. When he was finished he blew his nose and wiped his eyes. He settled down in the bed and closed his eyes. He was pulled from his musings when he felt a tug on his hand. He opened his eyes to see Greg sitting there smiling. He smiled back. He felt several hands grasp his legs and looked up into the eyes of his team mates. He saw a laptop sitting on the rolling table already booted up and ready to use. He felt tears start seeping out of his eyes.

"Ed. You had us scared. We love you man. Dr. told us about the hearing loss. That fucking bites man. *pouting* I miss you man. Glad you are still kicking. -Sam." 

Ed started typing.

"I'm scared to be honest. I don't know how I am going to communicate without being able to hear people's voices. Was anyone else hurt? Do you know anything about why that bomb was there, who it was meant for, etc?" 

They conversed a few more minutes, catching Ed up on what had happened with the explosion, and what they had been doing in the week that he had been out before Ed found himself drifting to sleep. He kept forcing himself to wake up. He didn't want to stop conversing with his team. The longer they talked, the longer he could put off that his hearing was gone. He noticed that his eyesight seemed a little sharper than usual and his sense of smell was keener. He caught a whiff of something and wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"What's wrong buddy? Do you need the doctor?" Jules was typing to him. He shook his head with a disgusted look on his face. He motioned for the laptop and started typing rapidly. The others looked at what he was typing.

"My hearing might be gone but my nose is kicking in. They are bringing the food trays. And I smell Meatloaf and Oatmeal. ANYTHING but that Jules. ANYTHING. I'll go on a hunger strike if I have to. I refuse to eat it! I HATE MEATLOAF! I also smell- burritos? DAMNIT SAM QUIT FARTING!" They all started laughing as Sam was fanning behind himself to dissipate the smell. A young candy stripper walked in with a tray. She set it down on another tray and rolled it over. She smiled at them all and took out a pad of paper.

"The doctor told the staff that your hearing is offline right now. I brought your lunch. Chicken and mashed potatoes. Not too bad. Is there anything else you need right now Mr. Lane? My name is Emily." Ed nodded and started typing.

"Thank you Emily, for the food, I'm starving. Thank you even more for no Meatloaf or Oatmeal. I don't think so. It's frustrating not being able to hear at the moment. Call me Ed please. How am I going to survive 2 weeks in the hospital?" Emily Smiled and typed back.

"Learn Sign Language. It's tedious if you don't already know some of it, but it will give you something to do to pass the time. Other than that, rest. Have your wife bring you some things to do from home, Like books for reading. Cross words, etc." Ed nodded.

"I don't have a wife. Sam, go to the library and check me out some books to read please. Thank you. Greg, go to my house, and bring me some actual clothes." Sam and Greg nodded and made notes of it. Emily typed a quick message.

"I have a beginners book on ASL. American Sign Language. I can drop it off later today if you like. I have been through sort of the same thing. They are going to tell you to learn Sign Language, even if your hearing does return. they like to act as though it won't. But don't give up hope. I have faith that it will return. I have to go now and get back to work. If there is anything you need, please let us know. I will back to check on you in a couple hours." Ed nodded. Emily hurried out of the room.

The rest of the team had started to drift out of the room on their way home, giving hugs to Ed, and promising to send him messages. Greg stayed for a few minutes after everyone else left. He had to do a preliminary Psych evaluation, though he knew it was pointless at the time because everything seemed so uncertain for Ed. Ed looked at him and shook his head. He didn't want to do the psych evaluation right now. Greg nodded.

"Ed. We have to. You know that. it will be quick. I know the answers to most of the questions because they are so obvious. I have to ask though. Are you contemplating suicide as a result of this injury? How do you feel knowing that you might not be able to come back to SRU?" Ed narrowed his eyes and took the computer.

"No I am NOT contemplating suicide. That's just dumb. We rescue people everyday who are looking to die. Why would I want to? I will adjust somehow. It will be hard but I will manage. As for not coming back. BULLSHIT! I CALL BULLSHIT! I will be back. In some capacity. Even if it is only pushing papers and typing reports. I will be back. That woman who was in here, she gave me a little extra hope. I will not give up!" He turned away and looked out the window.

He struggled to maintain his composure. Greg got up and gave him a hug, holding him tight, while Ed gave himself over to the sobs that had been threatening to wrack his body since he learned of the deafness. The only thing that Greg could do, was rub Ed's back and comfort him. When he was finished, he pushed Greg off a little.

They conversed for a few more minutes, before Greg too, left. When Ed was alone, he thought about his job. He nodded to himself with a note of finality. He was going to be going back to SRU. He refused to give up. He was pulled from his musings when the doctor knocked on the table, announcing his presence.


	3. Chapter 3

Can you hear me:

Chapter 2

_At the house_

_1 week later_

Jules was slamming around the house, slamming doors and huffing about. None of the guys dared approach her. They had seen what she does to people when she's in a bad mood when they cross her. Finally she seemed to calm down a little bit and everyone relaxed a little bit. At least she wasn't biting people's heads off.

"What will Ed do if he can't come back? I don't know about you all but I've having trouble dealing with this. Ed is like a staple around this place. He does his job well, and I have learned so much from him. I don't want to think about the possibility of him not coming back." Jules was a rant about Ed possibly not being able to come back. They had all just learned that this was a possibility. She was closer to Ed and Greg, than anyone else on the team.

"Ok people, debriefing room in five minutes. Let's go." Greg said as he walked ahead of them in to the room. The chairs were arranged in a circle. Not the usual formation. Sam commented as soon as he walked in.

"Did team three forget to put them back again? They did, didn't they." Greg shook his head and gestured to the chairs.

"No. I put them this way for a reason. We are going to have a combination debriefing and group counseling session today. It's easier than having Individual sessions because I can't always track everyone down. Because they disappear on me." He looked pointedly at Sam when he said this, Sam looking elsewhere, trying to look innocent.

"We all need to get our frustrations and anxiety over Ed out in the open. Even I do. Which is weird considering I'm a shrink. A couple people have come to me privately saying that they were scared and uncertain about it, and no I will not mention names. Who wants to start?" No one said anything. Greg sighed and closed his eyes briefly.

"It feels a little weird coming in the past two weeks and not seeing Ed. Not practicing with him. It's throwing my rythym off. Going on calls, and he's not there to turn to. He's not there sitting in the passenger seat praying silently that the call with go smoothly. I miss him. Alot. He was the first person to make me feel really welcome in this team. And the reason I didn't quit." Wordy said leaning forward. Greg nodded.

"I'm irritated that he's not here. It's like he's giving up and not fighting for his job. I mean, if I were in his position, I'd be kicking and screaming to get back here. But that's me. He rode my ass hard when I first got here, because he said I was rough around the edges and reckless. I hated him for it. but he made me a better team member. So why isn't he here?" Sam huffed and sat back his chair, slouching down, and crossing his arms. Jules nodded in assent.

"I miss him. Every morning when I came in. He was the first person that I saw. We always said hi, and he would always give me a high five. I haven't been able to sleep since this happened. His not being here has completely thrown off my routine. It's like Wordy said. I miss him." She struggled not to cry and took the box of tissues that Wordy passed to her. Greg nodded.

"I know. He said he will be back. When he didn't know. But let's be realistic. If his hearing doesn't come back. He won't be allowed in the field. Plain and simple. He might be able to work around the house, typing and what not. But really is that anyway for him to spend his time? He's used to being outdoors, in the middle of situations. He's a hell of a negotiator. We all have our little things with him. I'm going by the hospital later if anyone wants to go." Sam sat straight up and open mouthed.

"Don't Bother Greg. Look!" They all turned to see Ed standing there awkwardly at the door of the briefing room, with Emily standing next to him. They all got up and swarmed him hugging him, slapping him on the back, lifting him up in bearhugs. Emily had backed up slightly, just out the door. She didn't want to come between Ed and his team. She was lost in her own thoughts, when Ed touched her on the arm.

**"Are you ok? They aren't scary. I promise you. They are very nice once you get to know them."** He asked. Having his hearing off for a while had not diminshed his voice. He could still speak, he just signed out of habit while talking. Emily liked his voice. He rarely yelled. Which is better than her ex boyfriend did. She smiled and nodded.

**"I'm fine. I was just thinking about something. Let's go in and talk to your friends. I know you are anxious to be with them." **Ed smiled, nodded enthusiastically and took her hand.

"Hi guys. I can speak. I still can't hear, but Emily will translate for me. How are you guys doing? I miss being here. As for how I got out, I threatened the doctor." He gave Greg a knowing smile. And all Greg could do was laugh. Jules started crying. Ed looked at her in shock. Jules never cried. Only once that he knew of when she first joined the team. Then Understanding dawned on him. He moved to sit next to Jules and hugged her. He held out his hand and gave her a high five.

"I'm sorry Jules. I wasn't thinking. Please forgive me" He gave her such a cheesy smile that she couldn't help but laugh.

**"Ed. How are you? I'm glad that you are back." **Ed was just a little shocked to see that Sam was signing. He knew that Sam knew sign language because he'd read his file when Sam first joined, but that was his secret. Sam explained.

**"One of my best friends before I joined the Military was deaf. I wanted to learn Sign Language so that I could communicate with him. I never said anything because it never seemed relevant."** Ed smiled back.

"I'm ok. I am still a little bit frustrated because of not being able to hear. But that's the price I paid for doing what I love. I'm just here to relax and do some paperwork. Hopefully my hearing comes back soon and I can get back out in the field." Everyone could hear the sad undertone to his words. They all hoped that his hearing would come back.

"Well I think I'm going to-" Just as Wordy was starting to speak, the intercom went on.

"TEAM 1 GET READY TO ROLL WE HAVE A SITUATION. I REPEAT WE HAVE A SITUATION! SHOTS FIRED AT THE HIGHSCHOOL." Ed stood up instinctively with the team. Then sat down heavily when he remembered that he couldn't go. He felt Emily put her hand on his shoulder and pat it a moment. He shrugged and took Emily on a quick tour on the house before seeing her out the door and settling down to do some paperwork.

There really wasn't much paperwork to do. Greg made sure that they kept up on the paperwork. Ed moved to the Men's locker room and started to clean it, mop the floors, scrubbed the showers and washed the windows. When he was done with that, he moved to the bay area where things were always scattered around. Today was no different. He was Just about finished sweeping the floor, when the team came back.

**"Hey Ed. We were all thinking about going out for a couple drinks at the bar. Why don't you come with us? You can bring Emily. Where is she anyway?" **Sam looked around. Ed Shook his head.

**"Work. She had to cover someone's shift at the hospital. Otherwise I would have invited her. I like her. She's a very nice girl." **Sam nodded and went to get changed into his regular street clothes telling Ed that they would all be back to leave in a few minutes.


	4. Chapter 4

Can you hear me:

Chapter 3

A month later:

A month had gone by and Ed's hearing was still gone. The team was still trying to be upbeat and hopeful about it, but they could see the strain it was causing Ed. He was starting to get frustrated over every little thing. He was adapting, just Greg wasn't sure he was adapting as well as he tried to portray. He tried to corner him several times, but Ed kept finding excuses to not be around, putting Sam's previous attempts to shame.

After a week of chasing after Ed in an effort to talk to him, Greg finally gave up and stopped chasing after him, instead he started to formulate a better plan. When plan A backfired, Form Plan B. That was what strategy they followed in the field. Why should this be any different from any other operation.

Greg decided that he was going to stage an intervention today and include the others in it. It was a patrol day and a workout day. He had Sam paired with Ed since Sam was the only other one fluent in Sign Language. Not the others weren't trying to learn because they were. Ed didn't seem to have a problem with pairing up with Sam. Although from his perspective Ed felt weird wearing the tactical uniform once more.

Once in the car, Sam was driving because Ed was under temporary suspension because of his hearing so he couldn't drive. Just another little slap in his face to remind him of the major changes that he'd had to make. Ed merely looked out the window.

**"So Ed. How did you spend your days off? Do anything exciting? I spent my time off in bed and doing food shopping."** They had had the past two days off. Sam had spent it in bed, relaxing and sleeping as well as doing a little shopping for odds and ends that he had needed like food. Ed smiled.

"I spent part of it in bed. The rest of it I spent doing odds and ends with Emily. I cooked us dinner, we hung out and watched a couple movies. I'm starting to get fairly good at lip reading too. Emily said that once I start getting used to not hearing that I would also learn to start lip reading, that it would be pretty much an unconscious thing. She was right." Sam smiled and nodded.

**"Emily is a really nice girl I like talking to her. We had a few mintues to talk the other night when she stopped by to bring you dinner. None of my girlfriends ever brought me dinner. I never asked her if she has any friends. Does she? Because she's awesome." **Ed laughed.

"She has a sister who I think is around the same age as you. I would ask her first if it's ok. She's very protective of her sister. Something about a jerk of a current boyfriend that Emily hopes she dumps his ass soon because he's a dick to her. I met him. I could have laid him flat within two minutes of meeting him. Why don't I ask her if she wants to double date with her sister and ask if I can bring you. I think her sister might like you."

**"That would be cool. I hope she dumps him too, and not because I want to meet her. I hate guys who hurts women in any way. I wonder what goes through the minds of guys like that. Do they really think it's cool to beat up on a creature smaller than them?" **Ed nodded his head in assent.

When they were finished with their patrol, they stopped and grabbed burgers and drinks before heading back to the house to meet up with the rest of the team. After eating they were supposed to work out separately and in pairs. Ed wasn't worried, he had been keeping up with the workouts and was in fine physical shape. While Ed was eating Greg was talking to Sam.

"Try to get him talking. Don't treat him like someone who needs to be talked down. Just talk to him friend to friend. ok?" Sam agreed and went back to sit with Ed who was looking tired. Sam resented having to help greg out but he knew it was pretty much the only way that they were going to get at what was eating Ed. He knew that Ed wouldn't hate him for very long. At least he hoped not. And Sam was worried about him too.

**"So Ed, we are all kinda worried about you. I know it's hard not being able to hear. Not being able to converse with people like you normally would, and you look like you are adjusting. But we know you Ed. This team knows you better than anyone else ever will. We know each other so well that no one will ever know any of better than we know each othe. When one of us hurts, we all hurt. You taught me that. So level with me here. How are you really doing?"** Ed shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm doing ok. It bugs me a little, having to wait for people to write things down or sign them if they know Sign Language. I am adjusting. Little by little. It's a slow process. Adjustment is a slow process for anyone. You know that Sam." Ed was refering to when Sam had first joined the team. He had been rather rough around the edges. No one on the team had treated him very kindly at first. He was also hoping that Sam wouldn't see through his little facade and just let it drop. Sam narrowed his eyes at him and got pissed.

**"BULLSHIT I CALL BULLSHIT ON THAT ED! You are not fine. You can keep saything that you are fine. But you aren't. Are you? You still wake in the middle of the night scared because you can't hear anything. Your skin crawls because you feel people near you before you hear them because your hearing is off right now. It creeps you out doesn't it? You wake every morning hoping and praying that your hearing is back, and you get so discouraged because it's not!" **Ed got pissed right back and stood up only to be pushed back down by Greg.

**"Sorry my friend. You need to know how we are feeling. You are our friend. Our brother. We love and care about you. Sam's right and you know it. You're not fine Ed. Just admit it. We want to help you. Let us." **Ed tried to get up again only to have Gregs hands tighten more on his shoulders forcing him to stay seated. He growled quietly, causing Wordy and Jules to back up a little nervously.

"I don't have to listen to this shit. Let go of me Greg, right now. I'm not going to get up. Damnit, I said Let go." Greg backed off a little and Ed settled back in his chair calmly. A little TOO calmly for everyone's taste.

**"Damnit Ed, talk to us please. I miss the old Ed. The one who wasn't afraid to say what was on his mind. The one who would knock someone down a few pegs if they needed it. The one who everyone on this team turns to at some point every day! Is that it Ed? Are you scared? Answer me. You scared? You are aren't you?"** Greg was about to tell Sam to stop when he realized exactly what Sam was doing. He was deliberating poking Ed, because he knew that once he got Ed good and pissed, He'd talk. Ed stood up fast, knocking his chair over.

"FUCK YOU SAM! YOU GOT THAT? FUCK YOU! I'm so sick of your shit. I am so sick of you all fucking thinking you know me. I'm not scared. I'm not afraid, I'm not-" He felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see Greg standing there just looking at him. He closed his eyes, threw Greg's hand off and just walked away to the other side of the room, aware that Greg was only a step behind. He threw a chair across the room and stormed into the weight room where the punching bag was.

He didn't even bother with gloves, He was that pissed. He just started attacking the punching bag with no mercy. Punching it, kicking it and then screaming at it. After a couple minutes he slumped to the floor, exhausted. Greg hurried over, thinking that Ed had hurt his hands, only to stop when Ed spoke.

"I'm not scared damnit. I'm fucking terrified. This job is what I know. My life. What if I can't go out in the field anymore? I can't be a paper pusher. It's not in me. I just can't. I'm so tired of pretending that I'm fine. that the fact that I can't hear doesn't bother me. I'm scared Greg. I feel like I'm drowning or dying over here. I admit defeat ok? I admit it. I just-I can't- I-" Greg saw that Ed was dangerously close to hyperventilating. He shoved a paper bag at Ed and watched as he struggled to breathe.

After a few minutes, Ed settled back against the wall and took a couple deep breaths. Greg sat next to him and offered comfort in silence. He was sorry that Ed's breaking point had been so volatile, but at least it was it the open and he was willing to bet that Ed felt better about everything now that someone else knew about it and he no longer had to pretend.

**"You know Ed. You need to have regular Counseling. You need to start dealing with this. I mean really, actually starting to deal with it. You've admitted that you are scared and that's the first step. But as far as actually dealing with this, well, I think you were just trying to ignore it and push it under the rug. Doesn't work does it?"** Ed just sat there silently.

After a few minutes, Greg stood up and pulled Ed up with him. Ed had long since dried his tears so that no trace of them showed. He didn't know if any of the team had seen his tears or heard them. He decided that he didn't care if they had. He was human too and tired of hiding it. They walked out of the weight room together.

As they walked to Greg's office to start counseling, Greg was signing to Ed. **"You know Ed- I was thinking, How about we have-"** The shrill sound of the fire alarm cut him off and made him watch in amazement as Ed clutched his head and screamed, falling to the ground unconscious.


	5. Chapter 5

Can you hear me:

Chapter 4

A couple days later

Ed awoke with an awful headache. He was having trouble processing everything that was going on in his head. He kept hearing all these different noises in his head. They were starting to really make his head hurt worse. He rustled around in the bed finding a comfortable position and lay there thinking. There was something weird going on.

He looked around the room and could see that he was alone for the time being. His tactical uniform was folded neatly and creased properly on the chair. He was dressed in just a tshirt and his shorts with a pair of socks on his feet. He was a little uncertain that someone had undressed him. But he didn't think that they had seen him. Actually he really didn't care. He pulled the blanket up to his shoulders and yawned.

_'It's just as well. The only person that I am interesting in seeing me is Emily. I really like her. Might even possibly love her. Better not let Jules know. Otherwise she will have us married off and on our honeymoon before I want to actually pop the question. I wonder where everyone is at. Also what happened? I remember grabbing my head because it felt like my ears were going to bleed. and poof. I wake up in the damned hospital again. I really wish they wouldn't have put an iv in. I hate those damned things.' _

He couldn't put his finger on it. He was hearing things. but he wasn't sure if it was in his head or if he could really hear again. He decided not to think about it. He didn't really want to get his hopes up and found out that he was wrong. But at the same time, he couldn't help but think about it.

_'Maybe I really AM going nuts. They say that working high stress jobs like mine tend to make people go nuts after awhile. They start hearing things that aren't said, see things that aren't there. I REALLY hope that I'm not going nuts. I wish Greg were here right now. I might actually talk to him and not hold back like I have been.' _He was feeling a little more tired, but he chalked it up to having just woken up.

_'I would place the blame for this whole mess on Sam, He's the one that got me so riled up and pissed that I just said whatever came out of my mouth. However, I'm pretty sure that Greg put him up to it, so maybe I should take my issue with Greg. Maybe a nap wouldn't be a bad idea. I don't think I am quite ready to be awake right now.'_ He closed his eyes and relaxed feeling the waves of sleep wash over him. He tried to fight it off, but found himself rolling over onto his side and falling asleep.

After awhile however, he became aware of a presence in the room with him. It was something you learned and picked up when in his line of work. You just felt people's presences around you, even if you didn't see them at first or hear them. For Ed, it was a comforting thing, especially in the field, knowing that other members of the team had your back if you needed it. He sleepily rubbed his eyes and sat up.

The team was standing there, looking at him. He smiled at them. No one spoke or signed to him and he didn't say anything. They continued to stare at each other without talking for some time. It was starting to make Ed a little uncomfortable, but he remained calm and collected. Not giving anything away.

_'What do I say to them? Do I say I'm sorry for getting so upset? Do I tell Sam I'm not mad at him? Do I just stay quiet? What?'_ Finally, Ed spoke smiling at them.

"Hi everyone. I am getting really tired of saying hi from a hospital Bed. How are you all?" That broke the tension a little bit, they all started talking, catching up on what they did while Ed had been in the hospital again.

**"We had a couple calls. It was really quiet. We have the next three days off. I am going to be spending as much of it as possible with my wife and daughters. I can't wait. We are going to go for a drive in the country and maybe stop off and see Carly's parents." **Wordy was trying to sign things, going very slowly. He had the tip of his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth. Ed nodded. He had been putting off meeting Emily's parents because he wanted to be able to converse with them normally.

**"I think I'm going to take a short trip somewhere. I have some things to get out of my head. It's going to be at least a one or two day process. Also a couple of my buddies are on leave from their base. I'm going to hang out with them and catch up."** Sam said while sitting in the chair. Ed looked at him in concern.

"Is everything ok Sam? I know we've all been running pretty ragged the past 3 months. Anything you need to talk about Sam? I want to know and make sure that you are ok with this. If you want to chat, please let me know. I'm not going anywhere." Ed smirked when Sam shook his head in refusal.

**"No. I'm good for now. I will let you know though."**

His attention was diverted from the team when the doctor came into the room, said hi to the rest of the team, shooed them out of the room for a few minutes and pulled up the chair next to his bed to have a conversation with Ed.

"Ed. How are you feeling? Do you remember what was going on or what had happened prior to you being in here again. Speaking of, We need to have a talk about you ending up in my emergency room so often. I don't like having to see the same people over and over. You understand?" The Doctor smiled. Ed shrugged and laughed. The rest of the team had creeped back in by this time.

"My head hurts a little bit. Feels like a buzzing going on inside my head. I keep hearing things inside my head. Wow, that makes me sounds crazy. The thing is, I don't know if it's in my head or if I can actually hear again. Do you know what I mean? As for what happened before I woke up here, I was having an argument with one of the team members." The doctor nodded and proceeding to examine Ed's ears, scraping gently with a small instrument. After a few minutes, he sat back.

"Ed. You have a lot of scar tissue in your ear canals. I suspect it's from the excessive surgeries that you had when you were a child. What I would like to do, with your permission is put you to sleep and operate on your ears, and attempt to remove the scar tissue.  The Doctor paused for a moment to give Ed time to absorb this information, then he continued.

What I am thinking is the scar tissue got dislodged somehow when the explosion occured and when you passed out at the house as you all call it, I suspect that you heard the fire alarm and that was because it was a high enough pitched noise to penetrate the wax and scar tissue. Is this making sense?" Ed nodded biting his lip.

"When would you be operating? What can I expect? Will the operation be 100% successful?" The doctor smiled.

"Is tomorrow morning too soon for you? Or are you that excited? I will drop by a little later tonight to give you details and speak with you at length about the procedure." Ed nodded his head. The doctor patted him on the shoulder, wrote that he would set it up and left the room. The team crowded around the bed.

**"Ed, I'm sorry that I got you so pissed. I just wanted to help you. I'm praying that that might be what's holding your hearing back is scar tissue. Is there anything that I can get for you? Emily called and said that she was on her way in to work anyway, but that she would stop in and see you. She should be here in like 10 minutes." **Sam said while sitting in the seat that the doctor vacated. Ed snorted.

"I'm not mad at you Sam, if that's what you are thinking. I know that Greg here put you up to trying to piss me off in order to get me talking- Which reminds me, You're an ass Greg, making Sam do your dirty work. Sam, you will make a hell of a negotiator yet. I'm not angry. I needed to get some things off my chest so to speak. Good. I want to see her. I like her." Jules Squealed softly and then covered her mouth when Ed looked at her.

**"Sorry. She's really nice. It's nice to have another girl to talk to. You forget I work with a bunch of guys. You are hard to deal with at times. She and I have talked on the phone several times at night sometimes. We've even made plans to hang out. I've met her sister too. Really sweet girl. Boyfriend's an asshole though." **Sam was translating. Jules was trying but she wasn't as fluent as Sam or Ed.

They passed a little more time talking about what they would do when Ed got his hearing back. They were that optimistic about the surgery. Ed was lost in his own thoughts, planning something for when he could hear once more. He was unwilling to allow himself to think that he wouldn't be able to hear after this surgery. He was pulled from his thoughts when someone touched his hand and held it. He looked up into Emily's eyes.

"Hey Beauty. How are you? You on the clock yet? You know, I really like that yellow top you have on. Are you also wearing the rest of the combination?" He flirted with her naughtily. She shook her head, smirking while sitting down on the bed. She hugged him and he could tell that she had some wonderful news by the way her eyes danced. He cocked his head and waited for her news.

**"I'm ok. I'm not on the clock anymore. They took me off. Someone else needed the extra money way more than I did. So I decided to come visit you for a while. I also brought you another visitor. Because I know that you can NOT resist helping people when they need it so badly. AND because I know that you have had people watching her since you learned about her. Melanie, come here." **This tall, lightly complected, girl with long, Jet Black hair, who looked way too thin, dressed in a pretty peach dress walked over and sat gingerly in the chair that Sam had vacated previously.

**"Thank you Ed. I know that you have had people watching me. And I am so grateful that you cared enough to get involved in my business. And I know that someone ran a check or whatever on him. He was picked up two hours ago on several warrants. And I broke up with him. Thank you SO MUCH. I'm a free woman now thanks to you."** Impulsively she leaned over kissed Ed's cheek. Ed smiled.

"Good. I couldn't not do something. He was an ass. I wanted to lay him out with one punch but got him arrested instead. When you are up for it- I want to introduce you to the rest of the team. Would you like that? I mean if you would even want to meet them. Sometimes they can be a lot to take in all at once." Melanie nodded enthusiastically. Ed smiled.

**"I wouldn't mind meeting them now. It looks like they are here to see you. But only if you feel up to making introductions. I already know Jules." **Ed nodded. He motioned the team over.

"Guys, I want you all to meet Melanie, Emily's sister. Melanie, This is Wordy, That's Greg. You already know Jules, and this is Sam." He Saved Sam for last because he wondered if Sam still kind of liked her. Sam stepped forward and shook her hand.

"Pleasure to meet you finally." Ed could see that Sam was smitten with her. Good. He would be able to protect her just as much as the rest of the team. He yawned and settled against his pillows. Melanie was sitting in another chair and conversing quietly with Sam and Jules. Everyone else was conversing among themselves. He felt a tap on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see the doctor.


	6. Chapter 6

Can you Hear me:

Chapter 5

The doctor cleared everyone out of the room, stating that he needed to talk to Ed alone. Greg remained, citing that he was also a shrink and had to look out for the mental welfare of his friend. The doctor nodded and sat down.

"Ed. I set the surgery up. It's not going to be tomorrow morning. It's set for a week from today. I tried to move things around. But because your surgery is not for a life threatening injury, You will have to wait a week. But I have you set for one week from today. I am going to release you in a few minutes. I will have the details of your surgery for you at the front desk. Do you have any questions for me right now?"

"Can I go back to work? I know I can't go out in the field yet, but I've got to do something with my time otherwise I'm going to go nuts. I need to work out or something. You know how it is." He looked so hopeful, The doctor didn't want to crush what little hope Ed still had left. The doctor nodded.

"Yes. You can go back to work. Obviously you can't be out in the field. But I don't see what going into work would hurt. I don't want you in the firing range. No hits to the head. Do you understand me Ed?" Ed nodded and reached for the clothes that Greg had set out for him. The doctor touched his shoulder.

"Don't worry Ed. I really think that this surgery to remove the scar tissue and wax will restore your hearing. Just try to take it as easy as you can. See you in six days for the pretesting. In seven for the surgery. You are free to go whenever, just make sure you check out at the front desk." Ed nodded again, putting his socks on. Greg offered to help and held out the pants.

Ed took them while shaking his head refusing Greg's help. He was tired of having to depend on everyone to help him. He hated being vulnerable. He sighed and refused to think of what a different life he was leading because of that explosion. He was stopped with a touch on his shoulder. He looked up into Greg's eyes. He saw such understanding there. He nodded and smiled.

**"Ed. The closest you would be able to get to the field would be Patrol. I know you don't like being vulnerable. But Safety wise I can't let you go in the field alone, You need someone there with you for backup. Nor can I allow you on a scene. I am surprised that my boss hasn't told me to yank you and send you home period. But maybe he understands your need for normalcy. I don't know." **Greg was getting better at Signing. Ed nodded and finished getting dressed.

**"I know. I also know that I might not be allowed ever back in the field. I understand that and I will abide by it. That doesn't mean that I have to like it. I wouldn't mind only being to stay with the trucks. But I know I can't. Let's get out of here. I have work tomorrow. By the way, you are getting pretty good at Signing things." **Greg smiled and gestured to the door.

A few days later, Ed woke up like what had become the usual. Wordy had let himself into the house and woke him up. Ed was SO looking forward to getting the surgery done, so he wouldn't have people from the team barging in and waking him up every morning. He wanted to be able to wake himself up when he needed, by means of phone, or alarm clock.

At least Wordy wasn't obnoxious about it. He would come into the house, Start a pot of coffee, walk into Ed's room, flip on the light, and wait a moment before approaching the bed. The first and last time that Sam had woken him up, He had stealthily walked into the room, hopped onto the bed and proceeded to bounce. Pissing Ed off more than anything. Sam had found himself looking into the barrel of Ed's gun that he kept in the bedside table for emergencies.

**"Hey Ed. Hey. It's time to get up. Greg sent me to wake you up. He said that you aren't allowed to have anything to eat or drink because you are having surgery today. Come on. Get yourself a shower and get dressed. I will wait downstairs. See you in a half hour. **Ed nodded and sat up in bed. Wordy walked out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him to give Ed privacy.

A half an hour later, Ed was walking down the stairs, dressed, carrying a bag of items he would need. Toothbrush, Razor to shave, as well as a couple books to read while he was in the hospital. The doctor had said that he would only bed in the hospital overnight, barring any complications. Ed was looking forward to having his hearing back. Wordy met him at the bottom of the stairs.

Ed looked up to see the entire team sitting around his table. He looked confused. Greg stood up and started signing. **"Ed, We all want to be there to support you on this day. You are family to each and every one of us. You are Uncle Eddie to our kids, Brother to our significant others. We had to be here."** Emily had been standing off to the side.

**"Hey honey. You don't want to be late. I called your parents. They will be there when you wake up. They are on the plane now. When they land, Greg had arranged for a member of SRU to pick them up and bring them to the hospital. They said they love you and are praying for you." **Emily took his hand and pulled him into a hug. Ed pulled away.

"Ok. Just a moment and I will be ready to go. There's something that I need to do before I leave. I will be right back." He dropped his bag on the floor, and went into the other room, where he knelt to pray. He said a simple prayer that the surgery went well, that he would be able to hear, and that he would be able to see his parents.

After a few minutes, he came back and picked up his bag. He exited the house after everyone else and locked the door. Getting into the car, they drove to the hospital, which was a 15 minute drive from Ed's house. One of the observations that Ed had on the short drive were that he made the right decision to introduce Sam and Melanie. They had been joined at the hip since they night they met, even though it had only been a week. He was pulled from his thoughts when Greg stopped the truck and opened the door.

**"We are here. Let's go Team." **Emily and Ed led the way, Emily knew exactly where she was going, where Ed had to go to check in. The rest of the team settled into the waiting room, while Emily went with Ed for the pretesting portion before they got him settled into a room. While sitting there, Sam kept huffing and switching his position on the couch he was sitting on. Finally Greg couldn't take it anymore.

"Sam, please settle down. People are going to think that I'm your father instead of your friend and boss. Is there a reason why you are squirming and huffing and act like you are about to punch the wall?" Before Sam could reply, understanding dawned on Greg and he closed his eyes nodding in understanding.

"Sorry buddy. I forgot you don't like Hospitals. They remind you of too many awful things. Why don't you try some breathing exercises. Slow yourself down ok? It says alot that you are willing to tempt your fear to be here for Ed." Sam nodded. Melanie started rubbing his back gently while murmuring to him.

"I would be here for any of you. It's what family does for each other. How long is the surgery supposed to take?" They started conversing about the surgery and about other things, and slowly Sam's breathing evened out a little bit. Just in time too as Emily came back to get them, so they could talk to Ed, before he went in.

"He's in a room, and has been given his pre-op medicine. So it should knock him out soon. Greg, have you got a time yet on his parents arrival? Ed was a little anxious about his parents. If you guys want to say bye to him before his surgery, you had better do it now, he's drifting quickly. He's also slightly pissy. As with any surgery, they had to put in an iv. Come on." She led the way to the room.

Ed was just laying there, looking like a limp ragdoll. He waved kind of loopily at everyone, mumbling something about strong stuff. Everyone filed in and hugged Ed, murmuring good luck and see ya soon. Shortly after the last person hugged him, Ed fell asleep. Just then Greg's phone rang. He stepped away from the bed to answer.

"Hello?"

"Yes Sir. Is this Greg Parker?"

"Yes it is. Who is this?"

"Yes Sir. This is Sgt. Lewis of the police. I am on my way to Toronto Memorial Hospital, with Ed Lane's parents. ETA is about five minutes. Will someone be there to show them where to go? I was given your number and told to contact you straight away." Greg smiled.

"Yes. I will have someone down there to meet them right away. Tall, blond hair. Red shirt, blue jeans. Thank you for getting them here." He hung up the phone and turned back to the team who were looking at him questioningly.

"Ed's parents have arrived. Sam, They are coming in by police cruiser. I want you to go downstairs right now, and meet them at the front door and show them up here immediately. Got it?" Sam nodded and took off grateful for the chance to get out of the hospital for even two minutes. Greg gave Sam the job because he knew Sam's tolerance for the hospital was running low and he needed to get out for a bit before it started caving on him. Greg turned to the rest of the team.

"I guess we continue waiting for now. His parents are on their way up here. Should be here in a couple minutes." After a few minutes, Sam appeared in the doorway behind an older, attractive couple. Greg went to them.

"Mr. Lane, Mrs. Lane. It's a pleasure to see you again. How was your flight? Ed fell asleep about 10 minutes ago. He will be delighted to see you when he finally wakes up." Greg shook hands with Ed's father and hugged his mother gently as she passed by to see her baby laying in the bed. Emily had vacated the chair as soon as she has seen Sam reappear.

"My baby. Eddie, everything will be alright. Mama and Daddy are here now." His mother ran her hand over Ed's bald head and to his cheek gently, checking him over as only a mother can. Ed stirred slightly under his mother's touch rustling under the covers. He turned on his side, falling asleep again. His mother plucked the blanket down, covering his backside so no one else saw it. She looked up at the faces of everyone clustered around the bed.

"Hi Julianna. How are you? Kevin, Spike, How are your families? I just met Sam. Very nice young man. You must be Emily. Ed emails us several times a day since his accident in the field. He's described you in such great detail that I would know you in a crowd. How are you? I'm harmless I promise." Emily laughed. She already liked Ed's Mom.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Mrs. Lane. Ed has told me alot about you and your husband. The orderlies should be here any minute to take Ed down for surgery. I'm actually going to see what the hold up is." Just as she stepped away from the bed, the orderlies came in pushing a bed.

"We are here to take Ed down to surgery. They were running slightly behind, but they are good now. If you all could please vacate the room. We will get him on the other bed." As one of the orderlies attempted to wake Ed up, Wordy held up his hand.

"Not a good idea to wake him. He tends to get a little pissy if you do. Greg, want to give me a hand here?" Greg stepped up and between the two of them, had Ed on the other and covered back up in less than ten seconds. The orderlies wheeled him out without another word.


	7. Chapter 7

Can you Hear me:

Chapter 6

Author's Note:

I don't know if on the show Ed has parents that are still alive and I do not know their names. So I am just giving them names. If someone knows this info please review and tell me so I can fix it! ENJOY!

Two Hours later:

It had been an agonizingly slow, creeping last two hours. The ear surgery was only supposed to take an hour. Ed's family had not heard anything since the orderlies took him down to the pre-op room. Everyone was starting to get a tad antsy. Wordy had spoken to his wife, and she had brought fresh coffee and a tray of meat and veggies, along with rolls to the waiting room. They had all had a good lunch while waiting.

"I wish I knew what was taking so darn long. It's irritating." Sam said as he came in from being outside for fresh air. He had gone out frequently for little breaks. Everyone understood why he had to.

"I am quite sure that someone will be around shortly to talk to us to let us know how Ed is doing Samuel." Edward said while, patting his anxious wife's hand. Samuel nodded. It surprised everyone that Sam didn't object to being called Samuel.

"Shelly said that if we wanted her to bring anything else, I could call her. She would have stayed but we have the girls at home. Shelly had to get home." Wordy said, while stretching his legs a little bit.

Emily had offered to find out something but was sent back immediately saying that no one would tell her anything. Despite the fact that she worked with them. She was slightly irritated by that, but didn't want to upset Ed's parents or anything.

"Kind of irritating. I will go back in a few minutes. There should be something by then. But I don't really know." Emily said while settling in her chair and pulling out one of the books that Ed had packed and started to read.

After another hour had creeped by, and there had been no word, Ed's mother had gotten up, said that she would be back in a moment and left the room with a very determined look on her face. Everyone stood up and walked out into the hall and watched Amazed.

"Excuse me. I assume you work here miss. My name is Astrid Lane. My son, Edward Lane is having surgery on his ears today, and it has been over three hours since he was taken to the pre-op room and into surgery. I would like to speak to the doctor who is in charge of his case and I would like to speak to him as soon as possible please." The girl behind the desk just blinked at her.

"UM, ok. Well I am sure the doctor will be with you when he gets around to it. If you would just go back to the waiting room and sit, he'll get to you." She put her headphones back on and ignored her. Astrid Lane prided herself on being a calm and collected woman. She raised her children to be respectful, because she herself was respectful. So what she did next was completely out of character.

She walked around the edge of the desk and plucked the headphones off of the girls head and put her finger under the chin, forcing the girl to stand up hastily looking at her in fear. Astrid smiled in satisfaction as she now had the girl's complete attention.

"Alright missy. I volunteer at this hospital on occassion. I have donated a lot of time, energy as well as possessions to this hospital over the years. I want to speak with the doctor immediately. I will be in the waiting room with my husband and extended children. If he is not there in twenty minutes, I will be back." The girl nodded. Astrid smiled at her and walked away. Smirking at the adminishing expression of her husband.

"Astrid Honey, You should not have done that. But it was also a very effective thing to do. Here comes the doctor now." Everyone settled in their seats. The doctor came in and sat down, focusing on Edward and Astrid.

"I apologize for no one coming to you sooner. I sent an intern up here earlier to talk to you all and never heard back from him. We were just about to start paging you over the intercom in order to find you. I will be locating that intern and having a nice long talk with him shortly. Now, about your son." The doctor flipped open the chart he had with him.

"We were able to remove approximately 98% of the scar tissue and the wax that had been building up over the years. We do not know at this time if he can hear again, as he is still sleeping under the anesthetic. He should be waking up shortly though, I can take you to see him. Immediate family only however." Astrid stood up.

"My children, even though I did not birth them all. They can come as well. They are all concerend as well." The doctor just looked at her. Astrid just tilted her head slightly, looking the doctor square in the eyes, not backing down.

"They are family. We have not been formally introduced Doctor. I am Edward's mother and I have not seen my son for some time. I would appreciate it if you just show us to my son so I can see him. I am worried about him. I will not take no for an answer." The doctor complied and led the way down the hall.

As they got closer, they could feel the tension eminating from the room a mile away. Greg tensed slightly and looked sideways at Wordy. Wordy nodded and tapped Spike, Jules and Sam. They al looked at him before nodding. The doctor stopped them at the door.

"Let me go in and see if he is awake. I will come get you personally in a moment." As soon as the doctor opened the door, they could all hear Ed shouting furiously. Team one snapped to attention, Greg was preparing to walk in when a nurse appeared in the doorway.

"The doctor sent me to take you all back to the waiting room. We seem to be having a problem with one of the patients becoming slightly combative. Come on." No one moved. Meanwhile in the room.

"Get this shit off of me. I don't need it on me! off NOW!" The barely repressed growl and the shouted no, was enough to propel Emily into action. She grabbed a mask and fit it over her mouth.

"Where do you think you are going Miss? You can't go in there! This is a restricted area!" Emily looked down at her arm and then at the girl. She scowled at her and shook her hand off of her arm.

"I work here. That man screaming in there is my boyfriend. I'm willing to bet that you put restraints on him when he first woke up because he started freaking out. He hates being restrained. Goes back to a case of his. I'm going in there and there is NOTHING that you can do to stop me so get stuffed. And tell that stuff to someone who cares." With that, she walked through the doors and let them swing shut.

When she got in there, she saw Ed immediately. She also saw the doctor preparing a syringe. She knew from speaking to Ed, that he hated drugs and he hated restraints, even though he had to use them everyday on subjects. She strode over to where he was and announced her presence.

"Giving him a sedative and restraining him is not going to help him. I know what the problem is." The doctor looked at her and rolled his eyes. He ignored her and started to push the sedative into the iv. Meanwhile Ed was still screaming but it was now interspersed with whimpering straining and heaving at the restraints. Emily grabbed the syringe and threw it in the sink nearby.

"Just want do you think you are doing!" Emily ignored him and undid the restraints. As soon as he was freed, Ed started calming down a little. He was still freaked out. Emily Started signing and speaking to him in case he could hear, calming him even further. When he was calmer, Emily turned on the doctor while poking him in the chest and backing him up towards the door.

She pushed him out the door. "Just what the HELL did you think you were doing. You didn't even read his chart did you? Because I wrote in there for him that he has a fear of restraints. I put in there that when he first wakes up from Surgery that he gets disoriented and confused. As well as sometimes combative. Did you read his chart damnit? NO YOU DIDN'T. You were WAY out of line Doctor. Get me the doctor who did the surgery. Not some shitty intern! NOW!" She growled at him again and went back to Ed's side. The others just looked at each other. Greg was the only one to speak.

"Well, I think Ed has found his match in that woman. Sounds and acts just like him."


	8. Chapter 8

Can you Hear me:

Chapter 7

Author's Note:

Thank you to rgs38 for the reviews. Both on this story and a couple other ones. Thank you for the kind criticism. It's helping me to become a better ficwriter =-)... Because I hate stopping at cliff Hangers, I am posting the next chapter of this story. When I get a few more reviews, I will post again. ENJOY.

Emily walked back over to where Ed was still laying on the bed. She checked the monitors around his bed and saw that they were slightly elevated but not too badly. Then she looked at Ed. He was laying there moaning and whimpering. He sounded so Hoarse. Emily's heart broke for him. She'd seen some of the physical scars that case had left on him. She knew it had to be heart wrenching for him. She touched him gently on the arm.

**"Ed? Ed honey. Look at me. I've removed the restraints. You're safe in here. No one else is in here. The team and your parents are waiting outside in the hall. Do you want to see them?"** She spoke the words as well as signed them. Ed glanced about the room wildly. Emily continued to stroke his arm gently. She had found that calmed him most at night. Ed perked up when Emily mentioned his parents.

"Mama? MAMA!" Ed yelled weakly, trying to sit up. Emily pushed him down gently. Ed started to cry at being thwarted from moving. Emily took hold of his chin and tugged gently getting his attention. Ed looked at her.

**"I will get them. I will bring them to you. Ssshhh. It'll be ok. Stay here. That's an order." **Ed settled down slightly. Emily smiled at him, and he tentatively smiled back. Emily went to the doors and peeked her head out.

"Hey. He's awake, and somewhat calmer. He wants you Mrs. Lane. I think he wants you too Mr. Lane. He asked for his mom first though." His parents rushed into the room, leaving Emily to face the team.

"Well? Don't keep us in suspense. Talk to us!" Sam demanded. Greg hushed him with a mere look. Emily smiled at them and patted Sam's arm.

"He freaked out. They had him in restraints and they were going to give him a sedative. I've seen some of the physical scars that case left on him. He's going to be spooked for a little while. I know that much. I think he could benefit from talking to you Greg. As well as from seeing all of you. Right now I think he just needed his parents, mostly his mom. I'm trying to give them a few minutes alone together." Greg looked a little confused.

"He told you about that case? I mean you guys talked about it? How much? When? I tried to get him to talk but he kept pushing it away. He needed to talk about it." Emily nodded and placed a reassuring arm on Greg's arm.

"The other night when I went over to his house and made dinner with him. He was telling me that he knew he needed to talk about it with you. He couldn't make himself talk about it then. He needed to get away from it, needed to distance himself. I think he just needed to talk when he felt ready without someone pushing. Not that you or anyone else was pushing him to talk about it." Just then doctor who had performed the surgery came into the hallway.

"I heard from some of my staff that you were causing a ruckus down here Emily. And that you interfered with an intern that was trying to sedate a patient. Explain yourself please and give me a reason to not fire you." Emily pushed herself away from the wall and started talking.

Meanwhile, in the recovery room:

Astrid and Edward crowded around the bed. Ed had fallen asleep briefly when Emily had left, but awoke when his mother touched his face as if judging for a fever. He blinked sleepily and nuzzled his mother's hand, trying to turn over a little bit onto his side. Astrid smiled.

"How are you doing son?" Ed looked a little confused. His father turned to get Emily. Ed relaxed a little and just reveled in the presence of his mother. It felt like all the other times when Ed had gotten hurt, or needed a measure of comfort and his mother provided it.

When his father came back, the doctor came with him as well. The team snuck in even though they weren't supposed to be there. The doctor performed a quick neural exam checking Ed's reflexes, and gave orders for Ed to be moved back to his room. He explained that Ed had a lot of packing in his ears to prevent sudden reentry into the hearing world. He would take it out later today when Ed was more coherent and even calmer. Emily came up and took his hand squeezing it reassuringly.

**"Ed. Doctor said you are going back to your room now. You have a lot of packing in your ears right now. It probably feels weird. But just leave it. The doctor will be taking it out later today. Just rest ok?" **Emily signed to him, sighing when he shook his head. He attempted to sit up. Emily helped him.

The team gathered around and hugged Ed one at a time. Greg signed something to him quickly that no one else saw and Ed nodded. Which surprised Greg. He hugged his father tightly, and hugged his mom again. He then reached for Emily's hand and kissed it while smiling at her.

**"Ed. I'm glad you came through the surgery. Is there anything that I can get for you at the moment?"** Jules, who was becoming better at signing said. Ed shook his head.

"I'm good for now. Thank you though Jules. I just need to be comforted right now." Just then, an orderly came in the room.

**"Ed Lane? Your servant awaits to drive you back to your room. Would you like to come over to this bed for me?" **Ed nodded and started to scoot over. He found that he really couldn't, so Wordy and Sam helped him over. When he was settled, the orderly put the head of the bed up, so Ed could see where he was going, instead of laying flat.

**"Now, I know you don't like being restrained, However I have to put these straps across you. Is that ok with you?" **Sam was translating. Ed tensed up a little bit, but nodded. The orderly pulled the straps up and settled them across Ed's legs' loosely not buckling them. Ed raised an eyebrow at him. The orderly shrugged and started pushing the gurney towards the elevator.

"You don't tell people, I won't tell. Anything that makes my job easier and gives the patient peice of mind. I will do if possible. Let's get going. Just act like you are under the restraints, and all will be fine." Greg translated and Ed grinned, laying back obediently.

After getting Ed back to his room and into his bed and settled, the orderly brought a thicker blanket for Ed to cuddle up with which Ed gladly accepted and set about spreading it on the bed, before his father took it from him and did it for him.

"Are you comfortable there Ed? Are you going to stay up a bit or sleep?" Ed blinked owlishly. He started moving his hands quickly. Sam quickly translated for his father who was trying hard to follow his hands.

"Ed says that he's going to try to stay up, provided that they bring him some food soon. He's really hungry and doesn't want to waste away to nothing." Edward threw his head back and laughed. He patted Ed on the shoulder and left to see what he could do. Ed sat up and adjusted the head of the bed.

"The doctor had orders put on the paper that you can have light foods. I specifically requested no oatmeal. I think the menu tonight is going to be Salisbury Steak and Mashed Potatoes. Along with Jello and milk. I will see what I can do about getting you coffee as well. " Ed nodded in affirmation with a smile. Suddenly a weird look came over Ed's face.

**"Ed?Hey Ed, Ed, What wrong buddy? Greg. Something is wrong with Ed." **Sam was translating. Ed was pulling at his ears. His mother was trying to keep him from doing so. Edward had gone out in the hall to have the doctor paged. Greg came over immediately placing his hand on Ed's shoulder.

**"Ed? Eddie, slow down. Don't poke your ears. Wait until the Doctor gets here. Calm down buddy. Slow it down Ed."** Ed drew his legs up close to his chest. Emily had already helped him into sweats before they had brought him up.

"What's going on Ed? Ed, stop pulling at your ears please. Let me take a look and we'll-" Ed cut him off with an impatient gesture and look.

"I hear muffles." The doctor looked shocked. He had Ed sit up and tilt his head to one side. He had everyone remain extremely quiet and slowly took the packing out of first one ear and then the other. He looked inside Ed's ears for a moment and then leaned back.

"Ed, can you hear me? Ed, Look at me. Please. Ed?" Ed looked up at him after the doctor placed a hand under his chin bringing Ed's eyes up to meet his. The doctor started talking. Sam translated.

"Ed. I need to know if you can hear anything. It will help in determining which way I need to proceed. Tell me what you hear. Can you hear anything at all Ed?" Just then, Emily's phone went off. Ed sighed.

"Emily honey, Didn't you ever read the signs that say to turn off your phones off when in a hospital?" He smiled in satisfaction. at thier shocked looks.


	9. Chapter 9

Can You hear me:

Chapter 8

Author's Note:

The next couple chapters are kind of like Flashback chapters. I do not know if on the show, Ed was ever in this particular situation. If he was and I get it all wrong, Please, by all means correct me. I'm being a tad liberal with the plot lines. As always, any mistakes are mine! Enjoy! PS... I don't own Flashpoint. But if I did, I'd share. LOL

_Ed Lane was in a bit of a predictament. He had done exactly what Greg had warned him against, time and again. He'd rushed in before backup had gotten there. He hadn't put on any gear, he had only just his back up gun on him. Yet he had rushed into the building without waiting for anyone to have his back._

_Normally he was a very cautious man. But the caller had said that there were multiple children in the building in danger of being shot. That was Ed's weak spot. That anyone would hurt a child. He despised people who hurt children. How he kept it under control, well, he chalked it up being in the military. As he sat there, on the floor, bound and gagged, with no means of communicating with his team, and pissed, he thought once more how the guys had gotten the drop on him. _

_He had rushed into the building. They'd been waiting for him in the shadows. One crack across his shoulders from a pipe was all it really had taken to bring him down and relieve him of his gun. Before he passed out, they had laid the pipe against his ribs a couple times. He'd thought he heard them crack. Then he had passed out._

_It had started out as an uneventful day. He was just doing chores around the house. He didn't have to be on until that night, so he had plenty of time to relax, nap, do yardwork, eat and be on his way. It took a weird turn when he went out to get his mail. He had the usual bills, Letters from a couple friends still deployed, and an unmarked envelope. _

_He was a little curious about who would send him an unmarked envelope, and a heavy one at that, but he went inside and sat down at his table. As he sat down to open the letter, his cell phone rang. He picked up on the second ring, tucking the phone under his chin. _

_"Yeah? This is Ed, What can I do for you?" A quiet raspy voice put Ed on alert. He got a pen and paper and started writing details. _

_"Is this Ed Lane? Member of the Strategic Response Unit? I want you to listen very carefully. I will only say this one time and one time only." _

_"This is he. I'm listening. Go ahead." The caller rasped more. _

_"There's a building, on Summer's street. I saw some guy taking three small children into it. It looked like he had a gun. One of the children looked pretty sickly. I didn't know what else to do about it." Ed jotted down some notes while the caller talked. _

_"Thank you, I will pass this information on to the other members of the Strategic Response Unit, they will meet me there." The caller's raspy voice had become agitated._

_"No. You need to check it out. Please don't delay, he could be hurting or killing the kids right now. I will call 911, and direct them to where I saw the guy." Ed started to get a little suspicious. But he wanted to play the guy for more information._

_"Ok. Can I have your name so I can make sure you get the reward. We usually give a small reward to people of the community who actively report crimes to the police. I want to make sure you get yours."_

_The only response was a click. Ed had a weird feeling so he wrote a few things down on the sheet of paper. He put the papers in a sealed envelope. He called Greg, gave a few terse details, said that if needed his neighbor had a envelope for him and the team, gave him the usual code word and hung up on Greg's protests. _

_He had dropped off the envelope with his neighbor, said that his boss might be by to pick it up, gave him the same code word, promised to mow his lawn for him over the weekend and took off for the building that the caller had mentioned._

_Here Ed broke off thinking about the events, as his head was starting to hurt, and there was someone, no several someone's coming down the stairs. He strained at the ropes that bound him to the chair. They were tightly tied. He kept his eyes on the guys that came to stand before him. He couldn't really make them out in the dim room. Someone reached forward and put a gun against his head while pulling the gag out a little. _

_"If you yell out, I will kill you. Do you understand me." Ed sneered at him. The guy backhanded him across the face. Spitting out blood, Ed just looked back at him. The guy pointed the gun under his chin._

_"I said. Do. You. Understand. Me?" Ed nodded his head. _

_"Yeah. I understand you. Who are you? What do you want with me?" The guy backhanded him again, this time catching his nose and starting a nosebleed. Ed didn't make a sound this time, which seemed to please the guy. _

_"WE ask the questions. NOT YOU Damnit! Did you tell the others where you were going? Don't lie to me. I don't like being lied to. I get pissy when I am lied to. " Ed scowled at him and answered. _

_"No. I told my boss that I was going to check something out and if it panned out I would call. I haven't called, None of the team knows where I am." This seemed to mollify the guy a bit and he nodded. Suddenly two guys grabbed him and untied one arm and held it tightly. That's when Ed noticed the syringe._

_"Hey Man, what is this shit? You don't need to drug me. I'm telling you the truth. No one knows where I'm at." He started struggling as the guys held him tighter. They forced him over to the table that was in the room and bent him over it, taking some of the fight out of him. He kept struggling until he felt the needle plunge into his bicep. _

_"FUCKERS!" He started to fight back and was silenced with a sharp pain to his side. He started to howl in pain but stopped himself short. They would not get the satisfaction of hearing him scream, or beg for mercy. If he was going to go down, he was going to go down fighting. _

_Suddenly he couldn't stand anymore. The room seemed to start spinning a little. They dragged him over and dropped him on a matress laughing. They untied him and watched him as he rolled around like a turtle on it's back. He could barely make out their voices. _

_"He won't be moving for awhile. He will be out for the rest of the night. Hope he doesn't die though, I have lots planned for him before I want him dead. Come on, let's go. We will post a guard at the door later." They walked away and Ed could hear their footsteps going up the stairs and the door shut loudly. He tried to get up onto his knees, that simple act made complicated by the drug they had injected him with. It burned at his arm, and started to burn through out his body. _

_As he started to slip into unconsciousness, He kept trying to force himself to stay awake. His remaining thought was that he hoped that Greg had gotten his meaning over the phone and had gone over to his neighbor's house to get that envelope. Then he succumbed to the drug and blacked out._


	10. Chapter 10

Can you Hear me:

Chapter 9

_It felt like much too soon and Ed was kind of awake. He felt people picking him up, and dragging him over to the chair. They tied him to the chair, Making sure that he couldn't move at all. Then they stepped away and waited for further orders._

_"Nice job Men. Ropes are good and tight. Excellent. Ok Eddie. We are going to play a little game. You decide how bad the penalty is. You answer correctly, and we let you live longer. You answer incorrectly and well, let just say, it will hurt you worse that it will us. Understand?" Ed sneered. He was rewarded with a backhand across the face. A sudden look of contrition came over his face. _

_"Yeah I understand Sir." He replied meekly. This pleased the guy more than anything. Ed was merely toying with him to buy time. The guy nodded. _

_"Ok, First question. Did you tell anyone, Not just the SRU people, where you were going?" Ed was silent. The guy suddenly slashed him across the chest with a sharp knife. Ed grit his teeth to keep from crying out. The guy put the tip of the knife against Ed's throat. _

_"No." The guy pulled back a little. He looked really pissed._

_"No? What do you mean no?" Ed Licked his lips. _

_"No. I didn't. I told my neighbor that I was going to go for a run before work and asked if he would keep an eye on my place. He agreed to keep an eye on it for me. I usually go for a run and stop at the station. in just enough time for work." The guy seemed mollified slightly. Ed drew a deep breath. _

_"Would it be possible to get a glass of water please Sir. I'm very thirsty, and hungry as well. Please Sir." Ed was laying on the respect a little thickly, but it was necessary until he could turn the tables on the guys that were holding him captive. The guy nodded._

_"Very well. Give him some water and some food. Wouldn't want him to die. After he eats, make sure he's prepared." Ed felt a small tremor of fear run through him when the guy said that. He already knew that the guy wanted him dead. He just wanted to continue playing a cat an mouse game with him. He decided to continue playing the submissive role. _

_"Thank you Sir. For the food and water." The guy sneered at him and left the room. One of the other guys brought in a tray of food. They untied Ed's hands and told him that they would just across the room to not try anything funny. Ed nodded and started eating the food and drink, which was surprisingly good and tasted vaguely familiar._

_That's when a seed of knowledge started to take root. Ed knew that they had not moved him from the building. This food was cooked by the same cook that worked at the diner where Ed normally got breakfast three days a week. Ed filed that knowledge away in his mind and continued to eat his food._

_"I am finished with the tray. Thank you." Unknown to the two guys, there had been a steak knife on the tray. Ed had taken it and slipped into his boot. The same guy who had given him the tray, took it away. The second guy had retied him. Ed was trying to figure out what he could do when the second guy glanced at him._

_"I know what he's planning. You know him. He wants you dead. But not before you really suffer. I'm not playing you man. Did you get the steak knife I put on the the tray?" Ed just looked at him, not saying anything at all. _

_"You can trust me man. I'm a cop. Undercover. Tonight when I leave, I'm going to your boss and talk to him. Just hold for a little while longer. Please Ed. Trust me. Also, forgive me for this." Ed nodded. The second guy backhanded Ed across the mouth, stood up when he heard noises on the stairs and left the room without another word. _

_Ed wasn't sure if he could trust the guy, but there was something in his voice that said he could. Ed would try to hold out a little longer. He moved his jaw around a bit, hoping that the repeated movements had not broken his jaw. The guys came back._

_"You know Ed, I don't like to think that I have been lied to. I don't think you have yet, But I need to be sure. So we are going to continue the game now that you have had food and water. Remember now the same rules still apply." Ed nodded _

_"Yes Sir. I know. You want me to answer your questions honestly and truthfully and in exchange, I get to live a little longer. However if I lie, I will die. Probably a slow agonizing death." The guy smiled at him. _

_"Very good Eddie. We understand each other. You're learning. Now, My next question. Why did you shoot my brother? He was only twenty years old. Now he's in a wheelchair." Ed's eyes narrowed in thought and suddenly widened in recognition. He strained at the ropes a little but they were too tightly. _

_"Victor. I should have known it was you. You voice kind of rang a bell in my mind, but I wasn't 100% sure. Now I am." Victor suddenly punched him in the stomach. Ed coughed. Victor grabbed him by the throat. _

_"Answer me damn you! WHY did you shoot my brother. he was an unarmed child. He wasn't even mentally competent. He was retarded. Why couldn't you have left him alone." Ed sneered at him and spat on the floor. _

_"I was not aiming for him. I was aiming for the bastard who had a gun to his head. Your brother moved at the last second and got in the way. My team and I were trying to save your brother. He was an innocent bystander. No one wanted him to get hurt." Victor shook his head._

_"Untie him. Tie him to the ring on the wall. Facing the wall. He lies. He gets punished. Now." The two guys moved and untied Ed. As soon as his arms were free, Ed started swinging. First He caught Victor on the chin, When he fell, Ed turned on the other two men. The one who confided in Ed turned tail and ran up the stairs. Ed let him go and started punching the other guy. Unknown to him, Victor had gotten up and picked up a baseball bat. _

_When he swung the bat, he swung it hard and fast, Ed went down too stunned to move. The guy and Victor grabbed him and dragged him to the ring that Victor wanted him tied to before. They made the rope tight and fast so Ed couldn't get loose. _

_"Go find that coward, Collin and bring him back here. He's next. He'll learn to not cut and run. Bastard will be whining like a bitch when I am done with him. Go." The guy left, leaving Victor and Ed alone in the basement. _

_"Ed. I wanted to believe you. I really did. I wanted to believe you that you would never intentionally hurt someone. But I don't. And for that you must pay." He snapped the whip. Ed didn't flinch. He quickly mentally prepared himself for the stinging. The first one didn't hurt too much. The second one was a little harder. He flinched a little bit. Biting his tongue hard to keep from Screaming out. _

_After ten lashes, Ed ceased counting. He was getting weaker. He could barely stand anymore. Ed was mentally preparing himself to meet God, because it was looking likely that Victor was going to get his wish. Ed was desperately calling silently for someone to deliver him from this hell that he found himself in when he heard something upstairs._

_'Probably that guy bringing Collin back for his turn. Poor guy. I really feel for him. He was only trying to help me.' Ed thought absently as he felt the whip cut into his back again. He felt that Victor had stopped whipping him, hazily he could feel him unbuckling his pants. _

_'No. Not that. Anything but that!' Ed chanted to himself in his mind. His rear end suddenly felt cool in the drafty basement. Ed could feel Victor's hands on him. He kept weakly trying to kick him. Suddenly there were shouts._

_"Drop your weapon and step away! This is the Strategic Response Unit! Do it! NOW! NOW! DOWN!" After several minutes, Ed realized that Victor had stopped touching him. He was too weak to attempt to turn around. All was quiet. He felt a presence behind him._

_"No. No, please. No more. You broke me ok? Please no more. Please! Please DON'T TOUCH ME!" He started jerking around trying to get loose, continuing to scream hoarsely. He started freaking out worse when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and a cool fresh sheet thrown over his back. Protecting his backside from being seen by anyone else. _

_"Ed? Hey Eddie, ssshhh, It's Greg. Here, let me help you with this rope, it's kinda tight around your wrists. Ssshh" Greg could see the ropes starting to dig into his wrists and his wrists starting to bleed a little bit. Greg's calming cadance comforted Ed. Greg continued to talk to Ed. He allowed himself to be swallowed up by the blackness. _


	11. Chapter 11

Can you hear me:

Chapter 10

Author's note:

I am done with the flashback chapters. I hope you are enjoying the story! Again. Any mistakes are mine, and I don't own them. I wish.

Ed brought himself out of the nightmare that he was having with a start and a muffled scream. He took a quick look around the room, seeing that the only person in the room was Greg. Who appeared to be sleeping. Ed settled back against the bed hissing in a small amount of pain when he did. Some of the scars were still fresh.

Even after six months, they still felt raw even though the doctor had said that they were healing. But he had his hearing back, and he was still alive. For those alone, he was thankful. He was also thankful he found a girlfriend, his parents were here, and he had his work family still.

He was so lost in his thoughts, that he never noticed Greg wake up and study him for a few minutes without speaking, taking notes on a pad of paper that he had been scrawling on all day before getting up and making his way to the bed. Suddenly, he was therefore a bit startled by Greg's voice as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Hey, whoa Ed, it's me. Shouldn't you be trying to sleep it's only four in the morning Ed. What's up? None of us are on duty for a while. Come on, Try to go back to bed Ed. Did you want to talk about anything?" Ed shrugged absently. He also wondered very absently, how long Greg had been observing him. It was a little unnerving when you were a negotiator observing people, but when you became the focus of being studied, well, it was a little different.

"Is your back bugging you again? It's only been six months since those guys had you in that basement. It will still take time. Is there anything that I can do to help ease the pain? Do you want to take something for it?" Ed gave him such a dirty look, that Greg had actually backed up.

"Sorry. I forgot. You don't ever want drugs in your system again. How you made it through the surgery, I don't know. I'm old what can I say? How about a cool cloth instead." Ed looked at him and nodded. Greg left to get a basin of cool water and a clean cloth. While he was gone, Ed thought about what it had been like when the team had rescued them.

He had been hanging from that ring, tied to it, for at least an hour. Sometimes he could still hear the whistle of the whip, the sharp crack as it cut into his skin. Ed prided himself on the fact that he had not cried out when Victor was whipping him. That had been his intention at that point. To break him. Break him down as much as possible.

Ed had several moments of fear during his time of captivity. Nothing though, had compared to the sheer horror that had coursed through his body, when Victor had shoved his pants down around his ankles and was touching him intimately. Ed hadn't even been able to bring his legs up to kick Victor. Ed knew that if the team had not rescued him, Victor would have raped him and killed him. He couldn't get Victor's voice out of his head. He rubbed his face with his hands.

It had taken him three months to be able to get back on his feet. He would never let anyone other than the doctor or nurse see his back. He had not been able to use his hands for anything other than eating or washing for three weeks after his rescue. He could dress himself, but he usually had to have someone else tie his boots, or buckle his pants. The fine things that his fingers wouldn't cooperate for.

"Ed. I got a basin here with some cool water, and a couple fresh clothes. Can you manage on your own buddy, or do you want some help? You know your scars don't bother me. It's your decision. No one else is going to be in here for at least three hours. Plenty of time to get you cleaned up and changed. I will even help you into a jacket since they finally took the iv out." Greg waited patiently for Ed's decision.

"Ok, just don't touch me anywhere else. Please." The please was whispered softly, and Greg raised an eyebrow and let the comment slide for the time being. He nodded. Ed pulled the gown away from his back and leaned forward, his chin trembling. Greg dipped the rag in the water and wrung it out. He looked at Ed.

"Eddie, I'm going to put my hand on your shoulder, so your shoulder can rest against me. ok?" Ed nodded. Greg started wiping Eds back, being gentle on the scars. After a few minutes, Greg noticed that Ed was silently crying. He eased him back and sat in the chair next to the bed.

"Ed? Eddie, talk to me. Tell me what's wrong." Ed pulled his legs up to his chest. Greg waited. Ed shuddered and whimpered. He mumbled something over and over and Greg leaned forward to hear better.

"Ed. What did you say? I didn't quite hear it. a little bit slower and louder. And please try to breathe a little bit. I don't want you passing out before we finish washing your back." Ed gave him another dirty look and glared at him.

"I said I thought he was going to rape me and then kill me. That's what he wanted all along. For me to suffer as much as he was suffering because of my shooting and crippling his brother." Greg nodded in understanding and then covered his face.

"God. We addressed the physical injuries, but not the sexual ones. We never got to the Emotional orr Mental ones. My God. I'm so sorry Eddie. I wasn't thinking. You just bounced back so quickly, I guess we all assumed that everything was fine. I'm so sorry." Ed shook his head.

"It doesn't matter. I will be ok eventually. I have to be." Greg shook his head.

"But you aren't fine Ed. Are you? Let me in, talk to me. What we talk about stays between us. You know that. Why do you have to be fine?" Ed remained silent. Greg sighed and settled back into the chair, trying to figure out how best to help his friend.

"Sometimes, I can't sleep. I keep feeling the stings. The cutting. The cracked ribs. I just about fall asleep, and it's there. He's there. In my head, and what he's doing in my head is far worse than he actually did to me." Greg just listened, letting Ed get it out of his system.

"You were sexually assaulted Ed. It happens to guys just as much as it down women. Men just won't report it that's all. It doesn't matter that all the guy did was touch you. It's still sexual assault." At Ed's sudden paling, Greg stood up.

"Ed? Eddie? Oh god. I have to ask Ed. Did he penetrate you?Answer me please Ed." Ed shook his head. He looked up at Greg his hands fisted and trembling in the blanket.

"I won't answer that. I can't." Greg took a hold of his chin and turned his face to meet his. Ed just looked at him remaining silent for so long that Greg had thought that he'd gone into a comatose state with his eyes wide open.

"Ed. Please. We have to know. I won't say anything to anyone else. But You need some kind of help. Let me help you. Let me help you Ed. Please." Ed took a few deep shuddering breaths, trying to get both his anger and his grief under control.

"No. No he didn't. You guys showed up before he could do that. Thank you so much for showing up when you did." Ed Leaned forward again.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore right now. Could you please finish my back please, I'm starting to get a little cold." Greg nodded. Please that he had gotten as much as he had out of Ed for the time being.

After a few more minutes, Greg had finished washing Ed's back and had helped him into a clean set of clothes. Ed had gone to the bathroom and slowly crawled back into the hospital bed. He settled down and Greg helped rearrange the covers around him. He caught sight of a pink piece of construction paper on the bed side table that he hadn't noticed before.

"That's a get well card from Wordy's girls. They wanted to visit you but the doctor said no. They made Wordy bring it in when he was here. They said it would help heal you. They really miss their Uncle Ed." Greg said while Ed smiled.

"I will visit them when I am out of here. I assume that I won't be going back to work for at least a few days. Do you mind if I fall asleep again? I think I can sleep again now Greg." Without waiting for a reply, Ed let his head fall against the pillow and fell asleep leaving Greg to sit in the chair alone with his thoughts.


End file.
